The Essence of Herbs

Thursday, February 12, 2015

When asked this question, my mind was immediately
flooded with streams of facts, attributes and a myriad of reasons why I choose
herbs almost exclusively over modern pharmaceuticals, but I’m an herbalist. If
I feel a tickle in my throat, I brew up a tea. If I get chills, body aches and
a runny nose, I’m on top of it with some diaphoretic herbs. If my knees feel
achy or a little swollen, I apply the topical remedies. Too much worry? A
soothing bath infused with essential oils is my cure.

My moisturizer is a blend of pure nut and seed oils
enhanced with therapeutic-grade essential oils. My shampoo is made from soap
nuts. I have more herbs stored in my kitchen than most people have food; my
pantry is filled with whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, beans, 5 kinds of
rice, various pure oils, dried mushrooms. My life is centered on all things
real and natural. This is just how I roll.

So, when posed with the query, “Why herbs?” I feel that
the green allies are so infused in my bones that an objective answer seems a
foreign concept. How could I separate myself from something that is so entwined
within my every cell enough to report on it? I posed the enquiry to friends and
colleagues to gain some perspective on the matter and was delighted by the
enthusiastic replies.

Herbal medicine works well with modern
medicine. Agreed. Complementary medicine is one of the fastest
growing areas of modern healthcare for good reason. It works. Professionally, I
have seen many of my patients, who had been previously diagnosed with a variety
of health issues, get markedly better results when combining herbal formulas to
a pharmaceutical protocol. Using “fu zheng” therapy[1]
for patients dealing with cancer and the side effects of allopathic cancer
treatments consistently showed marked improvement with recovery time from
chemotherapy, better appetite and less nausea. The doctor’s tests results often
showed increased white blood cell counts and overall improvement of the
patient.

Herbal
medicine has much less toxicity and fewer side effects than drugs. Statistically
speaking, herbs are far safer than even properly prescribed drugs. According
to acclaimed researcher and scientist, James Duke PhD, herb-related fatalities
are almost unheard of at one in a million[2];
while adverse drug reactions cause injuries or death in 1 of 5 hospital
patients.[3]
As for Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine specifically, any side effects
experienced by the patient (usually bloating or digestive disturbances) merely
indicate that the prescription needs minor adjustments to harmonize precisely
with the patient’s personal constitution and digestive imbalances.

Herbs are much more cost-effective in
the short and long-term. In fact, some wild herbs are growing
in your backyard right now for FREE! Growing your own herbs, wildcrafting the
local weeds, purchasing herbs in bulk, buying remedies at a health food store,
or getting particular herbs prescribed to you by a knowledgeable practitioner
are still all less expensive than the cost of pharmaceutical drugs in the US.
In the short term, herbs are far cheaper, and a long term investment in your
health by adopting herbal regimens, eating whole, organic foods, participating
in physical activities and getting quality rest will very likely result in good
health and fewer medical bills!

Herbal medicine does not support
industrial corporate profit-driven agendas. Big Pharma is the
world's second largest manufacturing industry after the arms industry[4]
and is comprised of approximately 200 pharmaceutical corporations. Deceptive
advertising, the invention of new diseases, the renaming of old maladies,
suppression of negative trials, inauthentic ghostwriting and countless other
measures taken by these corporate giants ensure that public opinion supports
their agenda. Herbs are nature’s gift, cannot be patented (let us hope it stays
this way), and consequently offer little financial incentive to potential
share-holders.

Growing
herbs does not cause environmental devastation. Pharmaceuticals
are to chemical agri-farming what plant medicines are to organic gardening.
Pharmaceuticals produce vast amounts of pollution; Drug factories pollute air
and ground water as well as disenfranchising citizens of third world countries.
The thousands of chemicals produced and released as by-products create a
dangerous cocktail of deadly poisons that are then dispersed through rain over
large areas of the planet. Pharmaceuticals are inserting vast quantities of
highly bioactive and toxic chemicals into the soil and water worldwide.[5]
Growing herbs organically or biodynamically can actually improve the soil and
the ecosystem.

The
history of Herbal Medicine stretches back thousands of years, and is the basis
of all medicine practiced in the world today. The
written history alone of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda is at least
3,000 years old and formed the foundations of many healing traditions
throughout the world. Practical data gathered for hundreds upon hundreds of
generations of herbal healers offers sound clinical information about the
efficacy of natural prescriptions. By partaking in the rich lineage of
botanical medicine, we are linked back to the wisdom of our ancestors.

Knowledge
of Herbal Medicine secures our future by teaching the next generation how to
survive. I’m not trying to be an alarmist, and I do hold out
hope that humanity will rise above its baser instincts to create a sustainable
culture, but as the saying goes, “Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst.”
Learning and teaching the art of living in harmony with nature, as our
ancestors once did, will ensure the survival of our species, come what may. If
catastrophe befell us (and calamities seem to be happening so frequently these
days), would you know how to find food and medicine in the wilderness? This is
a very important question to ask yourself.

Healing
one’s self with herbs is very empowering. The knowledge and
ability to relieve yourself of a myriad of common maladies without ever
stepping foot out of your own home really encourages a sense of
self-sufficiency and self-confidence. It’s actually pretty easy to naturally
combat fatigue, get better quality sleep, ease pain, improve immunity, regulate
menstrual cycles, adjust the bowels and thrive instead of simply survive. It is
our birthright to have autonomy over our own health; I suggest that you not sell
it to the lowest bidder.

Using botanical medicines gently
enhances emotional well-being. Essential oils, herbs,
homeopathic remedies, and flower essences all help to support emotional balance
without suppressing our tendencies to normal ebb and flow. When combined with
wise counsel, personal issues can be navigated more easily and authentically
than when we inhibit the healthy expression of our innermost feelings.

Using living botanical remedies
invites us to have a very personal relationship with our medicine. There
is nothing more intimate or soul-soothing thanplanting,growing,
tending, watering, harvesting and drying valuable plant medicines right from
your own garden. Few activities can compare to hiking along and recognizing the
abundant varieties of wild medicinal plants with every sweeping glance. Our
souls respond when we crush an aromatic leaf between thumb and forefinger and
inhale deeply of that green ally’s unique fragrance; it’s a sensation that goes
right to the heart.

We are an integrated part of our ecosystem, whether we circulate blood or
chlorophyll, we all possess a life force and a love force. It is widely known
that plants show emotional responses to external stimuli and modify their
behaviors according to environmental perturbations; all living beings are more
alike than divergent. Herbs grow to adapt and adjust in their environment, and
in the body, herbs are biodynamic and synergistic.

There are gentle herbs that anyone can utilize for a variety of complaints such
as insomnia, anxiety, irritability, pain, digestive disorders, common
pathogens, immune building and for beauty. There are much more powerful herbs
that can treat more chronic ailments and even sophisticated Chinese herbal
formulas that can address difficult to treat disorders and create balance in
the body when used with wisdom, knowledge and experience. Become empowered,
wise, frugal, and healthier, while cultivating an intimate relationship between
your deepest self and the rich, complex tapestry of our natural world. Use
Herbs.

Lisl Meredith Huebner, Dipl.CH (NCCAOM), RH (AHG) is a
nationally board certified Chinese Herbalist, and a Registered Herbalist
with the American Herbalists Guild. Lisl is also a certified Medicinal
Aromatherapist, a level II Reiki practitioner, an Acupressurist, an
Auriculotherapist, a photographer, a renowned diagnostician, a teacher
and a published writer in private practice for over a decade. She is
available by appointment.HerbaLisl.comPlease call 8 6 0 - 4 8 0 - 0 1 1 5 or email HerbaLisl@hotmail.com
if you have any questions, would like to schedule an appointment,
attend meditations, weed walks, or are interested in taking classes.

[1]
“Fu zheng” is loosely translated as “support the righteous”, meaning to support
the normal functioning of the body, so that the patient may recover more quickly
from a pathogenic influence.

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Welcome To The Essence of Herbs

I am so glad that you've stopped by to read my blog. I hope that, like me, you'll be transformed by the layers of wisdom that Nature can teach us. The Earth herself is a conscious and complex living being that coexists with the seemingly infinite beings upon her (that includes us humans, sigh). The plants that share eco-systems are also a conscious part of a constantly evolving web of life that seeks balance in every moment. There is so much to learn from Nature...Perhaps the insights and observations I offer here will add to your curiosity... and maybe encourage you to build your own personal relationship with the natural world. Go hug a tree... unless there's poison ivy growing on it. Then don't.

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